See Rock City

Monday, June 30, 2014

Apple cider vinegar benefits are plentiful. Its wide-ranging uses (rivaling the number of uses of tea tree oil
and other nifty natural helpers) include everything from curing hiccups
to alleviating cold symptoms, and some people have turned to apple
cider vinegar to help fight diabetes, cancer, heart problems, high
cholesterol, and weight issues. Read on for more reasons to keep apple
cider vinegar handy in your pantry.

Apple cider vinegar helps tummy troubles.

Sip
some apple cider vinegar mixed with water. If a bacterial infection is
at the root of your diarrhea, apple cider vinegar could help contain the
problem, thanks to its antibiotic properties. What's more, some folk
remedy experts contend that apple cider vinegar contains pectin, which
can help soothe intestinal spasms. Try mixing one or two tablespoons
into water, or clear juice like apple juice.

Apple cider vinegar cures hiccups.

Take
a teaspoonful of apple cider vinegar; its sour taste could stop a
hiccup in its tracks. One teen took the hiccup remedy further and created a lollipop
that includes apple cider vinegar, which she says "cancels out the
message to hiccup" by overstimulating the nerves in the throat
responsible for the spasms.

Apple cider vinegar soothes a sore throat.

As
soon as you feel the prickle of a sore throat, employ germ-busting
apple cider vinegar to help head off the infection at the pass. Turns
out, most germs can't survive in the acidic environment vinegar creates.
Just mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup warm water and gargle
every hour or so.

Apple cider vinegar could lower cholesterol.

More research is needed to definitively link apple cider vinegar and its capability to lower cholesterol in humans, but one 2006 study
found that the acetic acid in the vinegar lowered bad cholesterol in
rats. Also, a Japanese study found that half an ounce of apple cider
vinegar a day lowered cholesterol in people who participated in the
panel.

Apple cider vinegar prevents indigestion.

Sip
before eating, especially if you know you're going to indulge in foods
that will make you sorry later. Try this folk remedy: add 1 teaspoon of
honey and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water and
drink it 30 minutes before you dine.

Apple cider vinegar clears a stuffy nose.

Next
time you're stuffed up, grab the apple cider vinegar. It contains
potassium, which thins mucus; and the acetic acid in it prevents
bacteria growth, which could contribute to nasal congestion. Mix a
teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink to help
sinus drainage.

Apple cider vinegar gets rid of dandruff.

On
his website, Dr. Mehmet Oz recommends apple cider vinegar as a dandruff
treatment. The acidity of apple cider vinegar changes
the pH of your scalp, making it harder for yeast to grow. Mix 1/4 cup
apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water in a spray bottle, and
spritz on your scalp. Wrap your head in a towel and let sit for 15
minutes to an hour, then wash your hair as usual. Do this twice a week
for best results.

Apple cider vinegar clears acne.

Apple
cider vinegar makes a great natural toner that can leave skin looking
healthier. Its antibacterial properties help keep acne under control,
and the malic and lactic acids found in apple cider vinegar soften and
exfoliate skin, reduce red spots, and balance the pH of your skin.

Apple cider vinegar boosts energy.

Exercise
and sometimes extreme stress cause lactic acid to build up in the body,
causing fatigue. Interestingly, the amino acids contained in apple
cider vinegar act as an antidote. What's more, apple cider vinegar
contains potassium and enzymes that may relieve that tired feeling. Next
time you're beat, add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to a
glass of chilled vegetable drink or to a glass of water.

Apple cider vinegar cuts down on nighttime leg cramps.

Leg
cramps can often be a sign that you're low in potassium. Since apple
cider vinegar is high in it, one home remedy suggests mixing 2
tablespoons apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon honey to a glass of
warm water and drink to relieve nighttime leg cramps. Of course, by the
time you walk to the kitchen to put the drink together, your cramp is
likely to be history—but maybe that's the point.

Apple cider vinegar banishes bad breath.

If
proper brushing and mouthwash doesn't do the trick, try the home remedy
of using apple cider vinegar to control bad breath. Gargle with it, or
drink a teaspoon (diluted with water if you prefer) to kill odor-causing
bacteria.

Apple cider vinegar whitens teeth.

Gargle
with apple cider vinegar in the morning. The vinegar helps remove
stains, whiten teeth, and kill bacteria in your mouth and gums. Brush as
usual after you gargle. You can also brush your teeth with baking soda
once a week to help remove stains and whiten your teeth; use it just as
you would toothpaste. You can also use salt as an alternative
toothpaste. If your gums start to feel raw, switch to brushing with salt
every other day.

Apple cider vinegar fades bruises.

Apple
cider vinegar has anti-inflammatory properties; dabbing or laying an
apple cider vinegar compress on a bruise can help fade the
discoloration.

Apple cider vinegar helps control blood sugar.

A few swigs of apple cider vinegar could help keep your blood sugar levels balanced, according to several studies that have shown a link between the two. One study
of people with type 2 diabetes who weren't taking insulin found that
taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed resulted in
lower glucose levels by morning. Another study
at the Arizona State University found that insulin resistant people who
drank a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water before eating a high
carbohydrate meal had lower blood sugar afterward. Scientists think the
antiglycemic effect of the acid is the key.

Water does a body good, but is it really the miracle cure
that some people claim? Here’s how drinking water really affects your
body and your brain.

By Lauren Gelman

Do I need 8 glasses a day?

Don’t
go crazy refilling your Sigg; let thirst be your guide. How much water
you need daily depends on your diet, size, and body chemistry, according
to Women’s Health. Nobody really knows where 8 glasses came from, according to a 2008 paper about water myths in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Keep in mind that exercise blunts your thirst mechanism, Lesli Bonci,
RD, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center, told the magazine. She recommends drinking 20 ounces before
working out to avoid dehydration.

Does drinking water help lose weight?

Sipping
water before meals may make you eat a little less and that can
contribute to weight loss, although it’s certainly no magic bullet.
However, Virginia Tech researchers found that people ate 75 to 90 fewer
calories when they drank two cups of water right before a meal. In
another study, dieters who drank water before meals three times a day
lost about 15.5 pounds after 12 weeks; those who didn’t increase their
water intake shed about 11 pounds. Swapping sugary beverages for water
is also a good ticket to a thinner waistline.

Can drinking water give me more energy?

In a 2012 Journal of Nutrition
study, women found everyday tasks more difficult, had more trouble
concentrating, and were more fatigued and irritable when they were
mildly dehydrated. Bottom line: If you need a mental pick-me-up, go for a
glass of the water before you sample a snack.

Can you prevent headaches with water?

Some evidence suggests that not drinking enough water could trigger migraines, or make them last longer. One small study in the European Journal of Neurology
found that migraine patients who were assigned to drink more water
experienced fewer headaches over a two-week period than a control group.
Researchers say more research needs to be done; but if you’re prone to
the excruciating headaches, it can’t hurt to drink more water with or
between meals.

Can water prevent heart disease?

Maybe.
In a classic study of Seventh-day Adventists, those who drank five or
more glasses of water had about half the risk of fatal heart disease
than those who consumed two or fewer glasses. Researchers suspect even
minor dips in hydration could make blood thicker and stickier, which may
make it more prone to clotting. However, with studies like this, be
careful about association versus causation, notes Reader’s Digest columnist Joel K. Kahn, MD, a cardiologist and author of The Holistic Heart Book. It’s possible that water drinkers had other habits in common that also lowered their risk, he notes.

Does drinking more water prevent constipation?

Skimping
on fluids is frequently blamed for slowing down digestion, but evidence
suggests that drinking more only gets things moving for people who are
very dehydrated, according to a 2010 paper in the journal Nutrition Review.
In one study, the paper points out, increasing water intake by 50
percent didn’t have any effect in a group of children with chronic
constipation, for example. While people with low fluid intake are at
greater risk for constipation, it may be that other underlying
factors—like a low-fiber diet—are the real issue.

Can water help your body naturally detox?

If
drinking more water helped us detox, it would likely be through
improved kidney function. But this common claim doesn’t really hold up
when you look at the science. “In fact, drinking large amounts of water
surprisingly tends to reduce the kidney’s ability to function as a
filter,” Stanley Goldfarb, MD, a University of Pennsylvania kidney
expert, told NPR.

Will drinking water give me glowing skin, like supermodels claim?

Unless
you’re severely dehydrated, drinking extra water is unlikely to affect
your complexion. “If you get dehydrated, your body is going to pull
water from your skin to maintain the concentration in your blood,”
Richard Besser, MD, told ABCNews.com.
This can make your eyes look sunken, and your skin appear older and
more dry. “If you’re not dehydrated and you drink a lot of water, it’s
just going to send you to the bathroom,” he said. Although one study in
2007 found that drinking about 16 ounces of water increases blood flow
to the skin, it’s not clear whether these changes are something you’d
actually notice. As for people who swear by water’s anti-aging effects,
drinking more of it likely means cutting out soda and other sweetened
beverages that can age your skin.

The Dalai Lama

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

Brad Pitt, actor

"I think happiness is overrated. Satisfied, at peace—those would be more realistic goals."

John Barrowman, actor

"I've always thought people would find a lot more pleasure in their routines if they burst into song at significant moments."

Drew Barrymore, actress

"I
think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are
beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness."

Joan Rivers, comedian

"People say that money isn't the key to happiness, but I always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made."

Gretchen Rubin, author

"I
think self-knowledge is a key to happiness. We can build happy lives
only on the foundation of our own natures, our own values, and our own
interests."

J. K. Rowling, novelist

"Personal
happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition
or achievement. Your qualifications are not your life."

Stephen Fry, actor and writer

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself and you will be happy."

Richard Bach, author

"If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem."

Marianne Williamson, spiritual teacher

"Children are happy because they don't have a file in their minds called 'all the things that could go wrong.'"

Rita Mae Brown, feminist author

"One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory."

Paul Simon, musician

"I've got nothing to do today but smile."

The Dalai Lama

"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe."

Sarah McLachlan, musician

"Happiness is like a cloud—if you stare at it long enough, it evaporates."

Harrison Ford, actor

"Being
happy is something you have to learn. I often surprise myself by
saying, 'Wow, this is it. I guess I'm happy. I got a home I love. A
career that I love. I'm even feeling more and more at peace with
myself.' If there's something else to happiness, let me know. I'm
ambitious for that, too."

Keira Knightley, actress

"Be happy in your body. It's the only one you've got, so you might as well like it."

Steven Kloves, screenwriter

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

Daniel Gilbert, social psychologist

"The
good news is that going blind is not going to make you as unhappy as
you think it will. The bad news is that winning the lottery will not
make you as happy as you expect."

Leslie Caron, actress and dancer

"In order to have great happiness, you have to have great pain and unhappiness—otherwise, how would you know when you're happy?"

Audrey Niffenegger, writer

"Don't
you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if
you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?"

Ann Brashares, author

"Maybe
happiness didn't have to be about the big sweeping circumstances, about
having everything in your life in place. Maybe it was about stringing
together a bunch of small pleasures."

Joanne Harris, author

"Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive."

Jodi Picoult, author

"A
mathematical formula for happiness: reality divided by expectations.
There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your
expectations."

Steve Maraboli, speaker and author

"Happiness is not the absence of problems, it's the ability to deal with them."

Lauren Oliver, author

"You can't be really happy unless you're unhappy sometimes."

Russell Baker, humorist

"A solved problem creates two new problems, and the best prescription for happy living is not to solve any more problems."

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first
day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she
looked at her students and said that
she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there
in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy
Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had
watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well
with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he
constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in
marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then
putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where
Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past
records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed
his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher
wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work
neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around.."

His
second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked
by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal
illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade
teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do
his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life
will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth
grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest
in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in
class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was
ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her
Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper,
except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown
paper That he got from a grocery bag Mrs. Thompson took pains to open
it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to
laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones
missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume.. But she
stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the
bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her
wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to
say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After
the children left, she cried for at least an hour.

On that very
day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she
began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to
Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more
she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year,
Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite
her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one
of her "teacher's pets.."

A year later, she found a note under
her door, from Teddy, telling* her that she was still the best teacher
he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got
another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school,
third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in
life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that
while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck
with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of
honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and
favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four
more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained
that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little
further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite
teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The letter
was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end
there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he
had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his
father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs.
Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually
reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson
did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several
rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume
that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas
together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in
Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for* believing in me.
Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I
could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes,
whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the
one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to
teach until I met you."

(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard
is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines that has the
Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this
along. I love this story so very much, I cry every time I read it. Just
try to make a difference in someone's life today? tomorrow? Just "do
it".

She was five years old, just about to turn six and she made a World War II Veteran Cry. She didn’t mean to do it.

In Washington D.C., there is a monument built largely with private
funds. It’s not as tall as many of the monuments, it’s not as audacious
as those erected for past presidents and founders of our country. It’s
really sort of a simple monument, the Monument for WW II Veterans in
Washington D.C.,. That’s where it happened.

My Daughter had been on the mall with me and my wife, she played,
walked through the congressional hallways and contemplated the height
and meaning of the Washington Monument. She still believes in her Nation
and her flag. Forgive us for being sentimental–we’re old. That’s her,
on a warm day, in little girl clothes, looking up at the tower we built
to honor General Washington. Then, we walked to the World War II
Monument.

When we arrived at the Memorial, there were families walking about
it. The wind was blowing softly and the day was unusually mild for D.C.
Then the bus arrived.

World War II may be unique among wars in which our country has
fought. The young men and women who fought it are no more brave or good
than the young men and women who fought in any of our wars. But, the
scope of the war was unique: the entire world was truly at risk of being
run over by a man who believed in the supreme power of the “science” of
his day; in Hitler’s twisted mind he—like, Stalin, the man with whom he
pad partnered before he betrayed him–read in Eugenics, the great
“science” of his time, that there we grades of human beings, some
“races” ahead of others. Some “races” of human beings were so far
behind, indicated the “science” of Eugenics, that Hitler and Stalin
would be doing the world a “favor” by wiping out men and women and
children and little babies … even little girls who stare at the sky and
see in it possibilities for love and hope and happiness. Mad men are not
unique—Saddam Hussein was a mad man, Mao was insane—but the world had
allowed a stink-breathed psychopath named Adolph to roll over human
beings and, because of appeasement, the risk of his winning half the
world was real.

Then our boys and girls got into the battle.

The bus I mentioned unloaded old men, some women, but mostly old men.
They leaned on canes, they rode in wheel chairs, a few walked, but they
were in the minority. Even in the warm weather they wore coats and
hats.

Oh, their hats! They had emblems on their hats: some were ball caps,
some were cowboy hats and others were the hats from their old uniforms,
taken from drawers or trunks for just this occasion. The emblems on the
hats told the stories of people who survived what their brothers and
sisters had not, they had the names of battles and units and ships that
faced walls filled with machine guns and bombs. They told the stories of
fighting tanks in the desert and submarines at sea. That is when my
daughter saw one particular man, in a particular wheel chair, who gave
my little girl a particular sort of wink—not a purposeful one, an
accidental one, a smidgen of joy on his face even as he remembered his
fallen friends.

The old soldier had come to see the monument built to honor not himself, but his brothers and sisters.

My daughter gripped my hand and asked me, “Daddy, is that man in the
wheel chair a soldier?” I told her he was. “What is the jewelry on his
shirt and hat?” I told her they were medals and what they meant and what
he had probably seen and done to rescue the world from pure evil.
“Is he a hero?”

“Why don’t you go ask him?”

She released my hand and walked over to the old soldier—the WWII
Veteran—I followed, but not too close. This was her moment with this
man, with this history.

“Hi.”

The man smiled at her. “Hello there”, he said.

She pointed at his medals: “my Daddy says you are a soldier.”

The man looked up at me and I smiled. He looked back at my Daughter.

“I was, yes, I was.” He took my Daughter’s hand and patter her head.

“Are you a hero?’

How do you answer that? My dear friends who have served in Iraq and
Afghanistan—Bryan, Kelly, Ben, David, Dennis, Mark, Sonia and many
more—tell me that they don’t feel heroic, they just did their jobs. But,
how do you answer a little girl, her eyes filled with admiration and a
sense that you—the old man in the wheel chair—are something more than a
guy who did a job?

That’s when he cried and, with all the might he could muster, picked
her up and set her on his knee. She touched his ball cap filled with
emblems. “Little one”, the man spoke,” I am not a hero, I am just an old
soldier … these men …” he sobbed a little and rubbed her back and then
looked at her again, “my friends were heroes and soldiers and I came
here for them.”

My Daughter looked into this man’s eyes and did something only a
little one would ever do. She put her finger inside her sleeve and she
wiped the man’s cheeks.

He laughed and I walked over.

She got down and said, “he says he is not a hero, but his friends are.”

What do you say to that? To your little girl with the tears of an old
soldier on her bright pink and white sleeve? You know what you don’t
do? You don’t ruin the moment snapping pictures, you absorb it into your
being.

I looked the old soldier in his green eyes and said, “Honey … that’s
what true heroes always say and we just have to tell them thank you.”

The old man nodded and mouthed thank you.

Thank you to everyone who served and to everyone who died serving. We
hold you in our prayers. We offer our sleeves, we offer our hearts, we
thank you for the safety in which our children will sleep tonight.

“Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping
for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few
minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ”I know why.”

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said, ”People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The Six-year-old continued, ”Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

•

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you’re not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.”

Saw this on Facebook and thought it has a great message...worth the read and definitely the share!

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence.

It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of
rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow
down the spout.. We all stood there, under the awning, just inside the
door of the Wal-Mart.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day.

I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight
of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of
running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome
reprieve from the worries of my day.

Her little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, 'Mom let's run through the rain,'

She said.

'What?' Mom asked.

'Let's run through the rain!' She repeated.

'No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit,' Mom replied.

This young child waited a minute and repeated: 'Mom, let's run through the rain..'

'We'll get soaked if we do,' Mom said.

'No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning,' the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

'This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?'

'Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer,
you said, ' If God can get us through this, He can get us through
anything! ' '

The entire crowd stopped dead silent.. I swear you
couldn't hear anything but the rain.. We all stood silently. No one
left. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.

Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might
even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a
young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that
it will bloom into faith.

'Honey, you are absolutely right.
Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just
need washing,' Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood
watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes,
through the puddles. They got soaked.

They were followed by a
few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.
And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they
can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one
can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make
time and take the opportunities to make memories every day.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Ever
wonder what to do with that pile of plastic bottles that just keeps
growing and growing? Here is a fantastic step by step tutorial to make a
green house out of plastic bottles. Have a look through this tutorial
and get inspired to be creative with your recycled projects and start
planning your green house today.

I’m
sure everyone reading this right now has experienced the redness, the
swelling and the uncontrollable itching that comes with a mosquito bite.
It’s enough to ruin any barbecue or picnic!
Many people turn to
store bought insect repellents to keep mosquitoes away, but these insect
repellents often contain a toxic pesticide that is dangerous to human
health. This pesticide is known as DEET.
Heavy exposure to DEET
has been linked to memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and
joint pain, tremors and shortness of breath in humans and is
particularly toxic to children.
Needless to say, this is a
pesticide we do NOT want to be using – especially when there are so many
more effective ways to keep mosquitoes away using natural remedies and
ingredients.
This article will reveal 13 of the best ways to repel mosquitoes so you can enjoy a mosquito free summer!

Homemade Citronella Candles

Citronella
essential oil is one of the most effective natural mosquito repellents
in the world and one of the best ways to take advantage of this
wonderful oil is in citronella candles. These candles are easy to make,
all natural and will release an aroma that keeps mosquitoes away. Place a
few candles around your patio or garden and create a mosquito proof
barrier!
Find out how to make these citronella candles here at GardenTherapy.ca

A Few Drops Of Lavender

Lavender
is loved by humans all over the world, but mosquitoes hate it! To keep
mosquitoes out of your home, add a drop of lavender to ribbon and place
around open windows. The mosquitoes will certainly think twice about
entering!

Simple Lavender Body Oil

Add 30 drops of lavender essential oil
to two tablespoons of vegetable oil – such as olive oil – and rub onto
exposed skin. Not only will you smell beautiful, but it will stop
mosquitoes from landing on you!

“Bug Off” Mosquito Repellent Spray

Stevie
from GardenTherapy.ca has devised a fantastic “Bug Off” spray recipe
that includes mosquito repelling essential oils such as citronella,
lemongrass and eucalyptus. Spray this on your skin before heading
outside.
Get the full tutorial for this “Bug Off” spray from here.

Bug Repellent Sunscreen

This
sunscreen is multi-purpose – it protects from harmful UV sun rays like
any good sunscreen, but it also repels bugs, including mosquitoes.
On top of that it’s all natural and contains none of the toxic chemicals found in many over-priced store-bought sunscreens.
Find out how to make this bug repellent sunscreen here.

Throw Rosemary On The Barbecue

Mosquitoes
often strike while we are barbecuing, but this simple trick will turn
your barbecue into a natural mosquito repellent, while also adding
delicious flavour to your food!
Throw a few stalks of rosemary on the hot coals to give off a mosquito repelling aroma.

Eat More Garlic

Note: While this may repel mosquitoes, it may also repel fellow humans!
After
eating lots of garlic, garlic oil is gently released from your pores.
This garlic oil acts almost like a barrier between your skin and the
mosquitoes.

Apply Neem Oil

Neem oil is a vegetable
extracted from the Neem tree native to the Indian sub-continent – it is
sometimes referred to as “the tree of life”.
Neem oil is a natural
insecticide used on plants to keep harmful insects away, and it works
the same way on humans. Apply neem oil to the skin and keep mosquitoes
away.
Neem oil is available to buy from this page on Amazon.

Mosquito Repellent Drink

I’ve
read a number of anecdotes which suggest that drinking apple cider
vinegar is an effective mosquito repellent. Add one or two tablespoons
of ACV to 16oz of water and consume. Sweeten with one tablespoon of
honey to counteract the bitterness if you wish.

Eliminate Standing Water

Mosquitoes
lay eggs in standing water. Getting rid of standing water will cut down
the number of mosquitoes in the immediate vicinity. Standing water can
include bird baths, puddles and pet water bowls. Make sure gutters are
draining well and empty any garden items that collect water.

Source: thewhoot.com.au

You probably missed this in the rush of news, but there
was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a
newspaper, an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any
American.

So an Australian dentist wrote an
editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is . So
they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)

'An American is English, or French, or
Italian, Irish, German, Spanish , Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may
also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean,
Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche,
Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other
tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian , or he could be
Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan . The only difference
is that in America
they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no
religion.. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to
armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the
history of the world.

The root of that prosperity
can be found in the Declaration of Independence
, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of
happiness.

An American is generous.. Americans have
helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need,
never asking a thing in return.

When Afghanistan
was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and
supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given
more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan
...The national symbol of America
, The Statue of Liberty
, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming
shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built
America

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers
the morning of September 11 , 2001 earning a better life for their families.
It's been told that the World
Trade Center
victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first
languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an
American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo , and Stalin , and Mao
Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world.. But, in doing so you
would just be killing yourself . Because Americans are not a particular
people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit
of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

These
questions were taken from the 100 civics questions about U.S. history
and government given to applicants for naturalization by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Department.
A USCIS worker asks each applicant up to 10 of the 100 questions for
the naturalization test, and applicants must earn a score of at least
6/10.

Monday, June 23, 2014

You probably look at a dollar bill every single day and yet, I guarantee
you didn't know half of these facts. Learn how to figure out when your
bill was designed and where it was printed, who painted the unfinished
portrait of George Washington at the center and, of course, where to
find a random hidden owl on the front of every dollar bill. There are
also an unlimited amount of references to the number 13 on both sides of
every buck. (Do you know why?) You will never look at that crumpled up
bill in your pocket the same again after watching this.

Mike Simmons created today's map with data from Hoover's. It shows the highest revenue-generating company headquartered in each state, excluding subsidiaries and government agencies (see larger here).
Note that we're talking revenue, not profits. If you're confused about
any of these selections, there's an explanation on the data-gathering
process and a list of included companies here.

The Afternoon Map is a semi-regular feature in which we post maps and infographics. In the afternoon. Semi-regularly. Thanks to Mike at Broadview Networks for sending this one over.

By Dr. Mercola

Many exercise systems often sound great at first glance, but in reality simply will not make a good fit for your
life. Thankfully, there is something else you can try called bodyweight
exercise, which is so flexible that it answers every possible concern
you might have, including time constraints, prohibitive cost, and
location concerns.
It got its name because your own body provides all the
resistance needed to take you to the peak of fitness... and it does so
at your own pace, without requiring a personal trainer to design the
perfect system for your lifestyle and fitness level.
You likely already know that exercise is necessary for good health
and a long life. What is not always clear is how you should go about it.
There are a countless number of different plans and theories about how
to exercise.
Of course researching and careful reflection is important, but it's
confusing. What's the best plan? How hard or easy should your workout
be? Then, there's the day-to-day reality, and the inevitable challenges
of implementing an exercise regimen:
Not enough time… The equipment is too expensive … Traveling to the
gym or other facility … You like outdoor exercising, but it's snowing.
Bodyweight exercises resolve all of these problems! You can do them
anywhere, anytime, at your own pace and level, alone or with a
friend—even if you and your friend are at different levels. It doesn't
cost a single penny.
Yet, you can get a perfect workout as if it had been designed just
for you. That's because it has—you will have designed it yourself!
It is not a newfangled idea. It's well researched, so you do not need
to be concerned that you might hurt yourself. Bodyweight exercising
uses your own body to provide resistance, so you do not even need
weights—though you can use them if you wish. The method is not only
effective, allowing you to train every muscle in your body, but is
simple and let's you work out at your own pace.

Health Benefits of Bodyweight Exercise

Workouts are highly efficient. As Dave points
out, the goal is fitness, not to look like "Arnold circa 1977." No
equipment means that there's minimal time transitioning from one
exercise in your self-defined set to the next, so your heart rate is
boosted quickly and keeps pumping.

You get both cardiovascular and strength training.
It is not necessary to do two separate workouts to achieve both types
of fitness. Simply alternating exercise sets from cardiovascular to
strength training keeps your pulse up.

Your core strength is improved. The Mayo Clinic
tells us that 29 muscle pairs located in the pelvis, abdomen and lower
back form the core that's needed to support your body and maintain
balance.
Your athletic ability, posture and all the little things you do every
day—like just plain sitting or doing the laundry—will be improved when
your core is strengthened and stabilized.

You'll be more flexible. Increased strength
without improved flexibility won't do you much good. Good posture and
athletic performance require good flexibility. Inability to stretch and bend is related to lack of flexibility.

Your balance will improve. As you progress into
more difficult variations of exercises, your ability to balance is
trained. Better balance helps give better body control.
Since age and infirmity do not usually hinder performance of bodyweight
exercises, they can be a great way for the elderly to maintain and
improve balance.

Almost Anyone Can Improve Fitness Health

Bodyweight exercise can be done by just about anyone. A study has documented that it benefits stroke patients.
In fact, if bodyweight exercise can help someone who's suffered a major
stroke and has difficulty walking, it's apparent that nearly anyone can
benefit. Adaptability is what makes this system so good: It's
adjustable to almost anyone, from the least fit to the professional
athlete. Just learn the basics and try different approaches until you
find what works best for you. If you get bored doing the same thing all
the time, you can vary your workout. As your strength and endurance
develop, you can modify the program. It's the ultimate personalized
system—as if you had your own personal trainer. In fact, you do...
yourself!

With Bodyweight Exercising, You Can Become Your Own Personal Trainer!

So how do you do it? Just watch this video of Jill Rodriguez, one of
the personal trainers at Mercola.com, as she demonstrates basic
exercises and how to add levels of difficulty as you're able:
You can do the exercises almost anywhere... at home, outdoors, or in a
gym. If you and a friend like to exercise together, you can do the same
basic program, but work out at your individual levels. It doesn't take a
lot of time. There's no equipment to buy. Exercise to music or while
watching television. Make it part of the transition from your work day
to your personal time. You can just make it fun!

Personal Benefits of Bodyweight Exercise

Aside from the improvements to your physical state, bodyweight exercise provides some other goodies:

Fat is burned quickly. If you want to shed a
few pounds, bodyweight training can help simply by including some
burpees—which I'll tell you more about a bit later. You'll be amazed at
how the metabolic increase will help melt the pounds.

It's convenient. So often, the reason people do
not exercise is simply that it's inconvenient. You have to go to a gym,
or go outside when it's raining, or stay inside when it's beautiful
outdoors. You do not need to pull equipment out and get set up. You do
not need to fit exercise into a particular schedule. You just do it when
it's convenient and fits your schedule.

It's cheap. There is no equipment required. Your own body is all the equipment you'll need.

It's fun! There's no boredom because you can
vary your workout if doing the same old thing makes you want to quit. As
the above video of demonstrates, there are all sorts of variations that
you can try... and keep in mind that the video doesn’t show every
possible exercise you could do.

Do the Burpee for a Concentrated Workout

The burpee is a bodyweight exercise developed by Dr. Royal H. Burpee.
It's both aerobic and anerobic, and provides both strength and
cardiovascular workouts in one exercise. Doing burpees can shorten
exercise time because it burns 50% more fat in short bursts. Like other
bodyweight exercises, there are burpee variations that can make it
easier or harder, depending on your requirements. All you need to know
about it, including step-by-step instructions and a video demonstrating
the burpee and variations can be seen here, along with all sorts of fun facts about it.

Technology to Support Bodyweight Workouts

Okay, it does seem a bit contradictory to suggest that these
workouts, which do not require any more equipment than your own body,
can be helped with technology. In today's world, though, we do have
technological allies in fitness.
With prices ranging from free to $3.99, a previous article brings you information about six bodyweight apps
for your iPad or phone. One helps you work out your own customized
workout for your skill and fitness level. Another can keep your body
challenged. Other non-bodyweight training apps help you track your
progress in jogging or running, keep track of your workouts, or
calculate heart rate with a range of tools to keep you on track.
Technology lets you bring your own personal trainer along on every
workout!

Proper Form for Maximum Benefit and Injury Avoidance

Bodyweight exercise is effective and frees you from the expenses and
restrictions of most other exercise programs. However, it's critical to
understand that you shouldn't just go slinging your body around or
acting as if you're immune to injury. If you obey proper form, you will
gain the most benefit and avoid injuries.
Two of the best strength-producing exercises are pull-ups and
push-ups. To gain the most out of either one requires performing them
properly. Men tend to focus on pull-ups and push-ups, but women, who
often lack upper body strength, should give them a go, too.
Pull-ups are not the same thing as chin-ups. They're not as hard, but
if you do them correctly, they're more beneficial. Not only do they
build strength in upper back muscles, but they're also good for the
central body core. Be sure to watch a recent video we did that shows you
the proper form for doing pull-ups. If you aren't able to do full pull-ups yet, the article also gives information on how to work your way into them.
Believe it or not, if you want to strengthen your midsection, a great
exercise is push-ups. They do, of course, increase upper body strength,
but when done properly, you must keep your abdominals still, which
requires keeping them taut. We also have a video that shows you how to
do push-ups correctly. You'll learn how to target other muscle groups while doing perfect push-ups.

No One 'Correct' Way to Exercise

Every person is different, so there's not just one "correct" way to
exercise. With all the exercise plans out there, it can be confusing and
zap your motivation to even try to get started. So when you learn about
the bodyweight system, which resolves all those excuses for not
exercising, it can still be difficult to overcome the inertia to get
started. To help you get through that difficulty and start making
exercise a regular part of your life, Chris Freytag has offered 12 Steps to help you get going.
Because we're all different, what works for one person does nothing
for another. You may need to set aside the same time every day, while
your co-worker does better by keeping the time flexible. It will
require, though, that you make a real commitment to exercise regularly
and make it a routine part of life.
Bodyweight exercising is terrific for many with tight time or
financial budgets or schedules—but it isn't right for everyone. Some
people do better exercising in gyms with trainers. Some do not care what
the weather is like. Cold or hot, wet or dry, they want to be outside
on a regular basis, so they can best bring exercise into their outdoor
activities.

Music
is a splendid thing. It can cheer you up when you're sad, make you
dance like a fool, and allow you to drown out the world when you need
to. But music has its scientific uses, too. The documentary Alive Inside
details how dementia patients react positively when given iPods filled
with their old favorite songs. The music seems to help them "come alive" again.
While listening to familiar songs, many of the documentary's patients
can sing along, answer questions about their past, and even carry on
brief conversations with others.
"Music imprints itself on the
brain deeper than any other human experience," says neurologist Oliver
Sacks, who appears in the film. "Music evokes emotion, and emotion can
bring with it memory."
The documentary follows recent studies
showing that music can improve the memories of dementia patients, and
even help them develop new memories.
Here, a look at some other things music has been known to "cure":

1. Low Birth Weight

Babies
born too early often require extended stays in the hospital to help
them gain weight and strength. To help facilitate this process, many
hospitals turn to music. A team of Canadian researchers found that
playing music to preemies reduced their pain levels and encouraged
better feeding habits, which in turn helped with weight-gain. Hospitals use musical instruments to mimic the sounds of a mother's heartbeat and womb to lull premature babies to sleep.
Researchers also say that playing calming Mozart to premature infants
significantly reduces the amount of energy they expend, which allows
them gain weight.
It "makes you wonder whether neonatal intensive
care units should consider music exposure as standard practice for
at-risk infants," says Dr. Nestor Lopez-Duran at child-psych.org.

2. Droopy Plants

If music helps babies grow, can it do the same thing for plants? Dorothy Retallack says yes. She wrote a book in 1973 called The Sound of Music and Plants, which detailed the effects of music
on plant growth. Retallack played rock music to one group of plants and
easy listening music to another, identical group. At the end of the
study, the 'easy listening' plants were uniform in size, full and green,
and were even leaning toward the source of the music. The rock music
plants had grown tall, but they were droopy, with faded leaves, and were
leaning away from the radio.

3. The Damaging Effects of Brain Damage

Of
the 1.5 million Americans who sustain brain damage each year, roughly
90,000 of them will be left with a long-term movement or speech
disability. As treatment, researchers use music to stimulate the areas of the brain that control these two functions.
When given a rhythm to walk or dance to, people with neurological damage caused by stroke or Parkinson's disease can "regain a symmetrical stride and a sense of balance." The beats in music help serve as a footstep cue for the brain.
Similarly,
rhythm and pitch can help patients sing what words they can't say. A
study of autistic children who couldn't speak found that music therapy
helped these children articulate words. Some of these kids said their
first words ever as a result of the treatment.
"We are just
starting to understand how powerful music can be. We don't know what the
limits are." says Michael De Georgia, director of the Center for Music
and Medicine at Case Western Reserve University's University Hospitals
Case Medical Center in Cleveland.

4. Teen Loitering

Public
libraries, malls, and train stations already know this: Teenagers
typically don't like classical music. In fact, they dislike it so much
that "it sends them scurrying away like frightened mice," says the LA Times.
The theory is that when the brain hears something it dislikes, it
suppresses dopamine, "the pleasure chemical." And as teenagers' moods
fall, they go elsewhere to find something to bring it back up.
So if you want the neighbor kids to get off your lawn, turn up the Tchaikovsky.

5. Hearing Loss

OK,
maybe music can't cure hearing loss, but it may help prevent it. A
study of 163 adults, 74 of them lifelong musicians, had participants
take a series of hearing tests. The lifelong musicians processed sound better
than non-musicians, with the gap widening with age. "A 70-year-old
musician understood speech in a noisy environment as well as a
50-year-old non-musician," explains Linda Searling at the Washington Post.

6. A Broken Heart

Not the kind caused by rejection, but the kind caused by a heart attack.
Music can help patients who are recovering from heart attacks and heart
surgery by lowering blood pressure, slowing the heart rate and reducing
anxiety. As a preventative, try listening to "joyful" music,
or songs that make you feel good. Research says listening to songs that
evoke a sense of joy causes increased circulation and expanded blood
vessels, which encourages good vascular health.

7. Poor Sport Performance

In 2005, a UK study
found that listening to music during sports training can boost athletic
performance by up to 20 percent. That's roughly equal to the boost some
athletes get from illegal performance-enhancing drugs, except music
doesn't show up on a drug test. For best results, try music with a fast
tempo during intense training and slower songs during cooldown.

8. Grumpy Teens

In a 2008 study, researcher Tobias Greitemeyer wanted to study how lyrics impacted teenagers' attitudes
and behavior. To do so, he exposed one group of teens to "socially
conscious" songs with a positive message, like Michael Jackson's "Heal
the World." Another other group listened to songs with a "neutral"
message. The researchers then "accidentally" knocked over a cup of
pencils. The group listening to positive songs not only rushed to help
more quickly, but picked up five times as many pencils as the other
group.

9. Illiteracy

A 2009 study
comparing two groups of second graders from similar demographics
suggests learning music boosts reading abilities. The only major
difference between the two groups was that one learned music notation,
sight-reading and other skills, while the control group did not. Each
group was tested for literacy before and after the school year. The
end-of-year scores for the control group improved only slightly from
their beginning of the year scores, while the kids with a music
education scored "significantly higher," especially on vocabulary tests.

10. Sluggish Alcohol Sales

Are
you a wine store owner suffering from an overstock of German vino? Try
pumping some German tunes through your store. A 1999 study showed that
doing so boosted German wine sales, and similarly, playing French music
boosted French wine sales. Customers said they were completely oblivious
to what music was being played.

11. Wine Snobbery

Ever
purchased a bottle of wine with recommended listening printed on the
bottle? Well, makers of cheap wine may want to consider that tactic. A
group of researchers say certain types of music can "enhance" the way
wine tastes by up to 60 percent.
In a study, wine-drinkers rated white wine as 40 percent more
refreshing when it was accompanied by "zingy and refreshing" music
("Just Can't Get Enough" by Nouvelle Vague was their go-to zingy song).
The taste of red wine was altered 60 percent by "powerful and heavy
music" like Orff's "Carmina Burana."